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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26401360">Story Time with Oscar Pine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Dance_2_Silence/pseuds/I_Dance_2_Silence'>I_Dance_2_Silence</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Books, Cute, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Minor Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Minor Oscar Pine/Ruby Rose, Oneshot, Oscar Pine Needs a Hug, Oscar Pine likes to Read, Reading, Rosegarden (RWBY), Sad Ruby Rose (RWBY), Sisters, Yang Xiao Long Being Overprotective, Yang Xiao Long Being Yang Xiao Long, story time</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:07:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,849</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26401360</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Dance_2_Silence/pseuds/I_Dance_2_Silence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby finds Oscar reading and ends up joining him. He ends up reading to her. It becomes their thing. </p><p>Yang is getting protective of Ruby thinking Oscar is up to no good.</p><p>Rosegarden if you want it to be. Bumblebee (in the background) if you want it to be.</p><p>Just some fluff about two book dorks. Enjoy!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna &amp; Oscar Pine, Blake Belladonna &amp; Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna &amp; Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Oscar Pine &amp; Ruby Rose, Oscar Pine &amp; Yang Xiao Long, Oscar Pine/Ruby Rose, Ruby Rose &amp; Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>117</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Story Time with Oscar Pine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>POV = Point of View.<br/>This is important as all italics in that section will be in their thoughts and it switches between people. I tried to make it really easy to follow so it should be fine.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>(Oscar POV)</p><p>Oscar sat upstairs curled up on a guest bed Jaune's sister's house. Team JNPR had been cool about him using the room, even though he was sleeping on the living room couch next to Qrow. (He was short enough to fit fine on the small couch so it worked).</p><p>It was very kind of them to let him use their room to put his clothes. Made him feel more normal.</p><p>Jaune had taken his team out for an adventure, and Oscar was making good use of the quiet space they had left behind to enjoy a good book.</p><p>He had gone to the library and everything. He had missed reading in the late afternoon.</p><p>There was something blissful about a good book. Losing track of the time as the words passed by. It was the best way to make the world feel like it stopped spinning.</p><p>Oscar heard the lightest knock on the door.</p><p>
  <em>Goodbye, quiet afternoon and good evening Nora. Wait, Nora doesn't knock quietly.</em>
</p><p>"You can come in." He tried to hide he annoyance in his voice. </p><p>The door creaked open, ridiculously slowly. Oscar watched and waited. Ruby poked her head in.</p><p>"Hi." Her voice was a higher pitch than normal.</p><p>"What's wrong?" </p><p>"I was just looking for team Junior."</p><p>"I thought it was JNPR?"</p><p>"Well, you're here, right? So there's an O in it? JNOR? No? Sssorry."</p><p>Oscar crinkled his nose. Ruby was rubbing her neck as he himself so often did, eyes darting across the floorboards.</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, I need to stop reading and deal with this. At the good part of the book too.</em>
</p><p>"So what did you need, Ruby? Maybe I can help?"</p><p>"Nnno, I was just... curious as to what they were doing. I don't want to interrupt your reading."</p><p>Oscar sighed internally. <em>I'm not going to be able to focus on reading now that I'm worried about you, dummy.</em></p><p>"Are you sure you're okay, Ruby?" His concern showed itself ever so slightly through his calm demeanor.</p><p>"Oh! Uh, yeah. Just... bored."</p><p>"Don't you have comic books?"</p><p>"Oh, uh, yeah. I'll just go do that."</p><p>"Wait!"</p><p>
  <em>Annnnnnd she's gone. She left the door open too. Great.</em>
</p><p>Oscar pushed himself up, taking his precious book with him, and followed the fading rosepetals to Ruby. </p><p>He knocked at a <strong>normal</strong> volume on the door, feigning confidence.</p><p>"Ruby?"</p><p>She didn't respond.</p><p>"I was going to say you could bring your comic books and read next to me, ya know, to not be alone? I get that feeling of wanting to just be with someone, it's cool."</p><p>He waited outside the door, shuffling his feet. <em>Should I go, or...?</em></p><p>Ruby eventually answered, cheeks flushed and eyes just red under the rim.</p><p>"I don't have my comic books with me. Luggage got lost on the train on the way here." She looked away sheepishly. </p><p>"Oh. Uh..." Oscar looked away in thought. "You know, I wouldn't mind reading with you. I went to the library earlier. Or we could go to the library, or, uh. I don't know. Do you even want to read? I'm just kinda... uh..."</p><p>"I'd love to read with you."</p><p>"Really? Oh! Uh. Yeah. Lets... go read."</p><p>The rose petals had faded away by the time they made it back to Jaune's bed. </p><p>The bed was pushed up against the wall. Oscar moved the pillows so they could use them as a backrest, sitting across the short side of the bed. Even with their short heights, their feet still hung over the side of the bed. </p><p>Ruby sat next to him, leaving space between them. </p><p>They fidgeted in the silence.</p><p>"So, uh, do you want me to start over? I don't mind, really..."</p><p>Ruby smiled softly. "No, it's cool. Blake and I used to do this all the time."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"Back at Beacon. At the beginning of the year, before things got too busy, she would read to me. Whenever it was just the two of us I would just sit next to her and she would just read aloud. Sometimes she would fill me in if she thought I would like it. But honestly, I just liked to listen to the sound of her voice. She always knew how to calm me down."</p><p>Oscar continued to fidget with his bookmark. He felt like he was intruding on some super personal 'Ruby moment.'</p><p>The silence was painful. It wasn't the same as it was before when it was just him and a good book. </p><p>
  <em>Ruby just shared something intimate, I need to say something. But what do I say to that?</em>
</p><p>"I..." Oscar ran out of words. <em>Where is Oz with life advice when you need it?</em></p><p>Ruby giggled. Oscar giggled too. Nothing was funny, it was just an awkward tense giggle that hurt, but at least broke the silence.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I kinda overshared there."</p><p>"No! It's okay, I just... you sounded sad."</p><p>"Oh. Well, things got busy and she didn't have time to read to me anymore. I didn't even realize how much it had bothered me until... well, now I guess."</p><p>"You've got a lot to process after... I'm... sorry."</p><p>"Don't be. You have nothing to do with it." Her voice was hushed and careful.</p><p>"Don't I?" His voice was biting and brash.</p><p>The silence swept back. </p><p>
  <em>That was too bitter. She needs my support, I need to just get over myself. </em>
</p><p>"Sorry. I guess I have some things I need to work out too."</p><p>"I don't want to think about it," Ruby whispered. It was a broken, quiet plea.</p><p>Oscar felt it shake his core. </p><p>"I don't want to think about it either." He whispered back, just as softly and just as broken.</p><p>The silence followed.</p><p>Oscar broke it, barely making a whisper. "Would you like me to read out loud to you? I can go back to the start of the good part..."</p><p>"I'd like that." She whispered.</p><p>Oscar ignored the tear forming in her eye. She probably didn't want to talk about it.</p><p>It felt wrong to betray the quiet stillness in the room, and it took a few tries to force himself to talk above a whisper. </p><p>He sat there on the bed-couch, reading to her. </p><p>At some point she scootched over, close enough to sense her there. She didn't touch him, but he could feel the warmth radiating off of her.</p><p>He could smell the rose petals.</p><p>He tried not to stammer or flush but kept reading on.</p><p>He noted what kinds of things made her snicker to herself slightly and what parts she got excited for.</p><p>It was a while before she put her head on his shoulder, nestling into the crook in his neck.</p><p>She was so <strong>warm</strong>.</p><p>Oscar could feel his heartbeat pulsing through him, and he blushed like an idiot.</p><p>She didn't seem to notice. </p><p>Oscar kept reading.</p><p>They stayed like this until Oscar heard Nora downstairs.</p><p>
  <em>Thank the gods she's loud. I don't want to find out what they'd do if they saw us like this.</em>
</p><p>"JNPR is back. We should probably give them the room, they might want to change."</p><p>"Oh. Yeah."</p><p>She sat up abruptly, and the pair didn't make eye contact. It felt <strong>cold</strong>.</p><p>"Thanks, Oscar. I... didn't know I needed that."</p><p>"It was nice." Oscar bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to keep talking. "Um.... Do you want to... do this again?"</p><p>"Uh... yeah. That would be nice."</p><p>Neither of them could hide their blush, but both mutually looked away to hide their own.</p><p>"I'll leave you with your team then." Ruby stood up and stretched. There was something kitten-like about it. He supposed she learned that from reading with Blake. "See you later." She hurried out.</p><p>Once the door closed Oscar let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.</p><p><em>I have not talked aloud for that long in a while. </em>He smiled softly, hoping no one noticed the blush on his cheeks as he headed downstairs for a glass of water.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>(Yang POV)</p><p>Yang noticed a soft blush on Oscar's face as he walked past the living room where she and Blake had made their stay for the afternoon.</p><p>"Oooh, Blake said you were reading, but I didn't know you were reading <strong>that</strong> kind of book." Yang teased.</p><p>Oscar turned crimson. He really made it too easy. </p><p>"I wasn't..." His voice cracked. Yang grinned. Oscar was panicking.</p><p>He moved swiftly to the kitchen to get water. </p><p>Ruby tore down the stairs. "Yaaaang! Hi." She plopped next to her sister, tackling her on the sofa, not even minding that Blake got squished in the process. She was used to it by now. Even Weiss had accepted it as normal.</p><p>Yang smiled, amused. "I haven't seen you all day! What have you been up to? You didn't beat my record on Candy Lane Shooters, did ya?" Yang pushed herself into a sitting position again, freeing the squished Faunus. Her ears twitched in gratitude.</p><p>"I was with Oscar, actually."</p><p>Ruby had said it so casually, but Yang couldn't help but have questions. "Oh? What were you two doing? Training?"</p><p>"Reading actually. He went to the library earlier. It was nice to take my mind off of things."</p><p>If Ruby was playing it cool, Oscar had <strong>not </strong>gotten the memo earlier. <em>What the heck happened here?</em></p><p>Blake didn't seem alerted to suspicious activity, but she also didn't have Yang's sister sense.</p><p>Yang narrowed her eyes. She was investigating this.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>(Oscar POV)</p><p>Ruby had made frequent visits and Oscar had learned to get a glass of water before he sat down to read by himself. It was just safer that way. </p><p>She had gotten braver about their reading time too, not even always verbally asking. Just a small nod and she would be curled right up to him and he would find a good place to start reading aloud.</p><p>Oscar had gotten used to her warmth and gentle touch. It was beginning to make reading alone feel strange, which was weird in itself. </p><p>Things had gone smoothly, and whenever Oscar wanted to get away to read, Ruby would join him. If she had other things to do, she was ignoring them profusely.</p><p>It didn't bother Oscar in the slightest. He liked reading to her.</p><p>He felt a swell of pride every time she got emotionally invested and every giggle sent him skyward. He never expected to get so attached to his pretty reading buddy.</p><p>He made sure to return all his library books before they headed to Atlas.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>(Yang POV)</p><p>"I don't like it, Blake. Why is he spending so much time with her?" Yang pouted. The duo was hanging out in their Atlas dorm, waiting for Weiss to get back from training with Winter and for Ruby to come back from whatever shenanigans she was up to with Oscar.</p><p>"Yang, they're two young teenagers close in age and maturity who have a lot in common. People say the same thing about us hanging out."</p><p>"But this is different!"</p><p>"Is it? They're just friends!"</p><p>"Are they?"</p><p>Blake pouted. "Yang, you're being unreasonable. Let Ruby have fun with her friends."</p><p>"She doesn't hang out with Penny like this."</p><p>"Penny is a high energy person. It's fun to hang out with those kinds of people, but it can also be extremely draining."</p><p>Yang sighed. "I just don't like it."</p><p>"I can see that."</p><p>"I mean, what if he tries something! She's way too naive!"</p><p>"Yang, shes a lot less naive than you think."</p><p>"But Oscar literally has Oz in his head! That's creepy!"</p><p>"Maybe to you, Yang. I don't think she sees it that way."</p><p>"Then she's naive."</p><p>"Or maybe she just understands that sometimes things are just complicated."</p><p>"Oz could manipulate her!"</p><p>"Oz isn't even here!"</p><p>"How do we really know that?"</p><p>"He's not. Oscar has been trustworthy."</p><p>"What if it's all part of some sick joke?"</p><p>"Do you even hear yourself? Yang, please. They're just two kids having fun. Let them."</p><p>"I don't want my little sister getting involved with a reincarnating freak!"</p><p>"Jinn showed us that some of Oz's lives have gotten married before. I don't think it's that bad. Besides, they're just children!"</p><p>"I don't want that adult creep anywhere near Ruby. I don't like it."</p><p>Blake just sighed. She wasn't going to win this. "Once you get over yourself, you'll see that it's kind of cute."</p><p>Yang just glared at her. <em>There's nothing cute about a man who's thousands of years old making a move on my baby sister.</em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>(Oscar POV)</p><p>What amazed him the most is that she sought him out to read when they had finally made it to Atlas.</p><p>He would train for hours and she would be out on missions, but she would always wander over to the room he shared with JNPR in hopes to find him.</p><p>Oscar didn't always expect to be found. He would text her when he was in the mood to read to her, but some days he chose not to. He watched her schedule just to make sure she didn't ignore important responsibilities to be read to.</p><p>He knew she would.</p><p>Oscar had seen her schedule for today and so he didn't text her when he sat down to read. She came by anyway.</p><p>Oscar hadn't realized he was not sitting on the bed in couch mode when she curled up to him. There wasn't nearly as much space for their shoulders to just touch. She was practically on top of him.</p><p>But neither of them seemed to mind, having gotten used to the other's warmth and Oscar just accepted it. He wasn't about to make it awkward by telling her they were too close and needed to sit the other way on his bed. </p><p>She had nuzzled into his neck and he wrapped his arms around her, letting her back act as an armrest for holding his book. She was locked in his looped arms, her chest sideways on his.</p><p>It was a hug, a tackle, a snuggle, a something. It didn't matter. They were comfortable and they were <strong>warm</strong>.</p><p>He just read out loud as normal. He wasn't sure if she had just wanted to get away from the noise of her teammates or if she actually wanted to be read to. </p><p>He had abruptly stopped reading when he heard her snore. It was soft enough not to be startling, but enough that he was fully sure she was no longer awake.</p><p>
  <em>Now what do I do?</em>
</p><p>He spotted his scroll on the table and knew he would have to move Ruby to reach it.</p><p>He made sure she wasn't going to slowly slide off the bed before reading quietly to himself.</p><p>It wasn't for another hour when he had to get dinner when he tried to wake her.</p><p>He hadn't expected it to be this <strong>difficult</strong>. He could have sworn Weiss had at some point mentioned that Ruby was a light sleeper. But that was not the case, at least not right now.</p><p>He put spotted Ruby's scroll and reached for it. Her belt was close enough to grab it without moving the weight on his chest. She may be light, but he was sore from training and he didn't want to accidentally make her fall off the bed. </p><p>He texted Yang, the top person on the list.</p><p>"Help" was all he managed to type before her phone slid from his hands. It slid off her back like a slide. <em>I wonder if it sent.</em></p><p>Oscar sighed, deciding he would be confined to reading to himself until she woke up.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Yang (POV)</p><p>Yang just about jumped out of the room when she saw a text from Ruby, "Help."</p><p>She pulled up her teammate's location. Oscar's scroll was marked on her map next to hers. <em>I have never been more thankful for this teammate locator map in my life. </em></p><p>"We're finding Oscar. Now. He did something to Ruby"</p><p>Blake, although hungry and confused, knew not to say no to an angry Yang. She let Yang take her hand as they practically ran towards JNPR's room. </p><p>Yang was just short of kicking in the door when Blake, always the calm and sensible one, unlocked it with her scroll.</p><p>She was ready to murder the child when she saw it.</p><p>Ruby was fast asleep, light snores leaving her still form. Oscar was reading a book over her. There was a small spot of drool on Oscar's chest. He looked happy enough to see them.</p><p>"Help. I can't get her up and it's dinner time."</p><p>Yang smirked. <em>Okay, Blake was right this is kind of cute. </em>She approached the younger two, pulling Ren's blanket off of his neatly made bunk.</p><p>Oscar had hope in his eyes. <em>How long have they been like this?</em></p><p>She draped a blanket over Ruby's sleeping form. <em>She has been plagued with nightmares lately. It's nice to see her sound asleep.</em></p><p>She turned around to leave.</p><p>"No, please don't leave! I can't get her up!"</p><p>"You wanna be with my sister, you let her sleep when she's out like this."</p><p>Oscar looked like a sad puppy. Yang almost laughed. "Can you grab my scroll, at least? So I can ask Jaune to get me food? I'm kinda hungry."</p><p>Yang smirked. <em>He would actually sit there and let her sleep. Dang, this is kinda sweet.</em></p><p>Blake gave it to Oscar, unsure if Yang would show mercy. She put Ruby's scroll back in her pocket. "Do you want us to get you something? We are headed that way."</p><p>"Yes please."</p><p>Blake smiled. He was adorable, like most children his age. The two turned to leave.</p><p>"Wait, are you sure we should let her sleep like this? I mean, if she sleeps now she may not be able to fall asleep tonight. Besides, she should really eat too." Oscar was so calm that it was impressive.</p><p>The girls looked at each other.</p><p>"Ruby comes in here all the time to hang out with you. Do you really not know?" Blake was a gentle force, but a curious cat.</p><p>"Did something happen?" </p><p>Yang raised an eyebrow. "How did this not come up in conversation?"</p><p>"Uh, I normally just read to her. Apparently you guys used to? She's mentioned it a few times."</p><p>The dynamic duo made eye contact. </p><p>"Yeah, we don't really talk about worries and woes when it's just the two of us. It's just nice to have someone to hang out with that you aren't pressured to talk to about... everything?"</p><p>It was at that moment Yang finally understood. <em>She's scared. </em></p><p><em>I</em> <em> bet they both are just trying to be kids again since it's become their responsibility to keep the world from falling apart. Why didn't she tell me?</em></p><p>Her subconscious answered her. <em>Because she had already found someone safe to tell.</em></p><p>"She really trusts you, ya know," Yang spoke to Oscar like she normally did to Ruby, calm and soft but not baby-babble. Yang knelt down in front of them, making eye contact. <em>Maybe he is the sweet little brother we didn't know we needed.</em></p><p>Oscar flushed slightly. "I'm worried about her." It was a soft whisper. He looked so much younger in that still moment.</p><p>"We all are, Oscar. We worry about you too. You're both too young to be dealing with this."</p><p>Oscar shook his head 'no.'</p><p>"We'll be okay." That small childlike phrase made her heart melt. "Are you going to be okay?"</p><p>Yang smiled, laughing slightly. "We're doing just fine."</p><p>"I thought we were done with lies and half-truths." Those words aged him. A calm resolve made him her equal.</p><p>Yang blinked back the shock from his change in demeanor. The shifts in behavior from scared child to mature teen felt like whiplash.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure she's more worried about you guys than anything else. Why would she be so worried if you guys are fine?"</p><p>Yang looked back at Blake. Her heart had melted too.</p><p>Yang didn't know how to respond, not wanting to bring up the losses they had already suffered. Oscar wasn't at the Fall, and it wasn't his fault the old man wasn't here to help him puzzle it out.</p><p>"Do you want me to move her?" Yang asked.</p><p>For being so insistent before, he hesitated. He liked the warmth and the safety she gave. He would never admit it, but Yang scared him. He knew they were cool, but Yang was a powerhouse. He was not one to mess with the powerhouse.</p><p>He eventually nodded 'yes.' </p><p>Yang wrapped Ruby in the blanket like a burrito as she easily lifted her little sister in her arms.</p><p>Ruby didn't seem pleased at the sudden movement and cold.</p><p>Oscar's heart just fluttered.</p><p>"I'll get the door. We'll drop her off and head to dinner." Blake thought the whole arrangement was sweet. Ruby had a lot of people who really cared about her.</p><p>Oscar texted Ruby just so she would see an explanation as to how she woke up in Ren's blanket in her own bed.</p><p>He moved to get changed. No reason to head down for food in a drooled-on shirt if it could be helped. It would embarrass Ruby less too.</p><p>Yang and Blake walked quietly through the halls.</p><p>"Oscar's intentions were extremely innocent. I really thought they were secretly dating for a while." Blake broke the silence, being her usual reflective self.</p><p>"Wait, what?" </p><p>"I'm just saying, they acted like they weren't hanging out for hours in private whenever they were with a group like they were hiding something. I suppose if all they did was read there's not going to be a lot of secrets exchanged or inside jokes. I just figured they were pretending not to be close but weren't able to hide how naturally they interacted. Turns out they just hadn't been talking, and just holding onto each other. Like sea otters."</p><p>Yang was speechless. </p><p>Ruby woke up in Yang's arms before they made it back to their room. She felt cold. They decided to go wash up a bit before heading down for dinner.</p><p>Ruby didn't appear to be embarrassed to have fallen asleep on Oscar, but she was.</p><p>She didn't want her sister to know how badly she had been craving having someone read her fairy tales every night.</p><p>She didn't want Blake to know how badly she missed Blake's smooth reading voice as they read all kinds of adventures together.</p><p>She didn't want Weiss to know how badly she wanted to read through old notes and reminisce about previous classes.</p><p>She didn't want to admit how amazing it was to have someone spend their alone time with her.</p><p>She didn't want to admit that he was warm and sweet. </p><p>She didn't want to admit that she would be okay if he stopped reading and just held her.</p><p>She didn't want to admit that she looked forward to seeing the cute bookworm constantly.</p><p>She didn't have the time to deal with it.</p><p>She didn't want to admit it.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked the fluffiness! &lt;3</p><p>I might add more later if I have any specific cute ideas, but I think this is pretty strong on its own. This will probably stay as-is unless the writing bug bites me again.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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